Garment hanger



Aug- 26 1952 w. P. cRocKETT, JR 2,608,325

GARMENT HANGER Filed Jan. 28, 1949 2 SHEETS-l-SHEET 1 lliml. MI

W. P. CROCKETT, JR

GARMENT HANGER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1949 M/ 4 UHU 9 2 f 6 J 0z t liu- MA 5 UHU j 4. W @l UHU ing jaw II is so shaped that the camportions 30 thereof engage the other rod at the inner surfaces of thebends 3| when the jaws are brought into closed position. Therelationship of the parts in open position is best shown in Figs. 3 and7. When the parts are brought into closed position, as shown in Figs. 4and 5, the cam portions 30 tend to squeeze the opposite legs of thecrank I4 towards each other, which introduces the stress which tends tocause the jaws to spring apart. The pintle portions 24 are somewhatlonger than the length of the helices I9 so as to permit thelongitudinal movement of the pintle portions which results when theparts are stressed.

One advantage of the present arrangement is that the parts may be sodesigned that thecam portions 30 do not engage the bends 3l until thejaws are fairly close to each other, such as 30 apart. When the jaws areopened beyond this 30 position there is no binding action which servestolimit the degree of opening, since the helices-and pintle portions arealigned with each other, and since the crank I4 is entirely out ofengagement with the cam portions 30 in such open positions.- Y

The operation of the device has been describedfin connection with thedescription of the various parts. To summarize, the'jaws of the garmenthanger are normally biased into about the open position shown in Fig. 1.This permits the garment to be placed between the jaws I!) andlII.- Thenthe clamping lever 20 is swung upwardly so that the camming portion 22engages the crank I4 and causes the jaws to close. At the same time, theAcam portions 3Q of one rod engage the other rod and stress the latterIso that when the clamping lever is subsequently released, the jaws willspring apart.

As shown in Fig. 1, the outer end of the clamping lever 20 may be formedinto a hook so that the garment hanger vmaybe conveniently supportedfrom a clothes rod. However, other supporting means may be provided, andthe clamping lever may be utilized solely for clamping purposes, if sodesired.

The general U-shape of` the crank I4 and of the cam portions 3l] andcrank II permit each to be deformed in a direction parallel to the axisof the hinge. When the clamping lever 2Q is brought into clampingengagement with the crank Il! the rods are deformed in a peripheraldirection, which is perpendicular to the hinge axis. Due to thisarrangement the rods maybe simultaneously subjected to differentstresses which do not tend to neutralize each other because thedeforming forces are applied in directions perpendicular to each other.Thus the jaws will always tend to spring apart, even though they aresecurely held in clamped position by means of the clamping lever; Y

The deformation due to the action of the cam portions 30 may be either adeformation of the crank I4, which tends to squeeze the legs together,orit may be a deforation of the crank I'I and the cam portions 30, whichtend to spread the legs of the crank and cam portions apart, or it maybe a combination of both.` In either event, the helices I9 are urgedoutwardly with respect to the pintle portions 24 when the jaws arebrought into closed position.

The two rods which support the j'aws I0 and II may be formed from anysuitable wire stock which has a certain amount of resilience.

Theprinciples of my invention may also be `4 applied to other types ofgarment hangers other than the particular type shown. For instance, therod members may be caused to engage each other at some point along thejaw arm portions I3 and I6, and clamping means other than that shownherein may be provided.

Although only a preferred embodiment of my invention has been describedand shown herein, it will be obvious that various modifications andchanges may be made in the construction shown without departing from thespirit of my invention as shown in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a Ygarment hanger having two garment clamping jaws, separate meansfor supporting each of said jaws, said supporting means being hingedlyconnected to each other to provide a hinged connection for said jaws,one of said supporting means being provided with a substantiallyradially disposed portion adapted to be deformed in a directionsubstantially parallel to the axis of said hinged connection, and theother one of said supportingmeans being provided with a cam portionadapted to engage said radiatly disposed portion as said jaws arebrought intoclosed position whereby one of said supporting.

for relative movement about an axis, a resilient U-shaped crank portionon one of said supporting means disposed in a planelsubstantiallyparallel to a plane passing through -said axis so that the legs thereofmay be deformedin an axial direction, said supporting means havingportions adapted to engage each other as said jaws are brought intoclosed position in such a manner that said legs will be deformed in anaxial direction -whereby said jawswill tend to spring apart.

3. A supporting device comprising two clamping jaws, means forsupporting each of said jaws for relative movement about an axis, ahinged connection for said supporting means, a resilient U-shaped crankportion on one of saidA supporting means disposed in a planesubstantially parallel to a plane passing through said axis so that thelegs thereof may be deformed in an axial direction, said supportingmeans having portions adapted to engage each other as said jaws arebrought into closed position in such a manner that said legs will bedeformed in an axial direction whereby said jaws will tend to springapart and clamping means acting on said supporting means in a peripheraldirection to.

urge said jaws into closed position.

4. A garment hanger comprising two jaws, a rod for supporting each ofsaid jaws for pivoted movement with respect to each other, at least oneof said rods being formed of resilient mate-` each of said crank legswhen said jawsarein closed position, the relationship between said crankarms and said cam surfaces being suchy that as said jaws are beingbrought into said closed position, said cam portions and said radiallydisposed crank arms will engage each other so as to stress at least oneof said rods, the reaction between said rods at the points of engagementserving to cause the jaws to springV apart from closed position.

5. A garment hangercomprising two jaws, a rod to support each of saidjaws for pivoted movement with respect to each other, each of said rodscomprising two end portions bent-to form jaw arms and an intermediateportion including a U-shaped resilient crank, one of said rods havingaxially aligned helical portions at points between said crank and saidjaw arms and the other of said rods having axially aligned pintleportions at points between said crank and said jaw arms, said helicalportions surrounding said pintle portions to provide a hinged connectionbetween said rods, a clamping lever pivotally mounted on one of saidcranks and adapted to engage the other of said cranks to bring said jawsinto clamping engagement with each other, one of said rods having camportions engaging the legs of the crank of the other of said rods whensaid jaws are inclosed position whereby the legs of said crank 4`will bestressed and serve to urge the jaws apart from closed position.

6. A supporting deviceV comprising two clamping jaws, means forsupporting each of said jaws for relative movement about an axis, eachof said supporting means comprising two end portions bent to form jawarms and an intermediate portion including a pair of spaced hingeelements, the hinge elements of one of said means cooperating with thehinge elements of the other to provide a hinged connection, theintermediate portion of one of said supporting means including aresilient member connecting said spaced hinge elements to permitrelative movement of said pairs of said hinge elementsvwith respect toeach other in an axial direction. said supporting means having portionsadapted to engage each other as said jaws are brought into closedposition in such a manner that said resilient member will be deformed inan axial direction whereby said jaws will tend to spring apart.

WILLIAM P. CROCKETT, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATETS

